A variety of vacuum devices is known in the art and typically includes a holding tank or other receptacle and a suction mechanism, generally comprised of an electric motor and impeller. A hose or other flexible conduit is usually provided having a first end that is generally connected to an inlet fitting on the receptacle and a second end that is adapted to be positioned by a user.
Materials entering the receptacle are generally prevented from entering the suction mechanism or being exhausted from the vacuum cleaner by a filter, for instance, of pleated material in the shape of a cylinder, or cloth in the shape of a disk that surrounds a cage or filter assembly. Materials may also be contained in a filter bag configured so that material suctioned through the hose stays inside the bag. The bag has an inlet, such as an aperture, that engages a first end of the inlet fitting, and a second end of the inlet fitting engages the first end of the hose. When the suction mechanism is operated, material is drawn through the first end of the hose to the second end of the hose and is deposited within the bag disposed in the receptacle. While a filter around the cage or filter assembly may adequately protect the motor and impeller from dust and debris, and prevent most particulate material from being exhausted from the vacuum cleaner with the exhausted air, bags are often preferable, instead of or in addition to those filters. Bags contain the debris, so that emptying the receptacle of debris creates less dust or other mess when a bag is used. Certain high efficiency filters can be fairly expensive, so bags are also desirable as a way to limit the dust and debris engaged by the filter, thereby extending its useful life.
Known bags may be made from a paper material. Such bags are inexpensive and act as an effective filter to trap dirt and other solid debris within the bag. However, such bags are relatively weak, and may abrade easily, lessening their filtering efficiency. These bags may also rupture when lifted, such as when removing it from the holding tank. Paper filters may be lined with another material, such as a non-woven, high-efficiency filtration medium, in order to increase the filtering efficiency, which can similarly be degraded by abrasive materials. Bags made of other materials, such as woven or cloth bags, may be stronger than paper bags, but such cloth bags are expensive and therefore are not usually suitable for disposable applications and may have undesirable filtering characteristics. Accordingly, there exists a need for a bag that is inexpensive, has good filtering characteristics, and is strong, particularly, when used for abrasive materials.